I don't like my accent at all.
I wish I could sound like a native speaker but I think someone would be able to accomplish that when that person lived in an English speaking country for some years so I'm thinking about going to Canada or the States to get rid of it once and for all!

I've been mistaken for an asian when people have heard my accent over the phone.
If I'm not asian then how could I possibly be mistaken for one??

This is my answer at another forum in a thread, which someone is asking for help to get rid of the accent.

I know it's okay to have an accent because the other language you speak is not your mother tongue; therefore, an expectation that a non-native should have the accent of a native is unfair and unjust. We all should be proud of the accent we have; it's a part of who we are. Nevertheless, the curiosity, observation, endless questions, discrimination, stereotype, and so on could get on our nerves. Thus, we end up wishing to get rid of something we should be proud of.

Well, if you can't get away of this vicious life that people would judge you based on your accent, I suggest you to watch televison to imitate the way the native speakers speak. Record yourself and then ask a native to help you to point out what words you pronounced them wrong. Ask them for the correct pronunciation. Practice yourself until you've got it right. It could be a long process depending on how heavy your accent is. The word patience will definitely work here. Be patient and give yourself some credits. 8)

Lalee wrote:I don't like my accent at all.
I wish I could sound like a native speaker but I think someone would be able to accomplish that when that person lived in an English speaking country for some years so I'm thinking about going to Canada or the States to get rid of it once and for all!

I've been mistaken for an asian when people have heard my accent over the phone.
If I'm not asian then how could I possibly be mistaken for one??

There was a Chinese girl from Beijing that I knew in college had a really light accent. At first I thought she was a native born until I found some words she pronounced sound really Chinese. I asked her about it, and I was quite shocked to find out she'd been in the States only for three months. She said she'd been studying English in China.

LennyeTran wrote:
There was a Chinese girl from Beijing that I knew in college had a really light accent. At first I thought she was a native born until I found some words she pronounced sound really Chinese. I asked her about it, and I was quite shocked to find out she'd been in the States only for three months. She said she'd been studying English in China.

She was probably very smart to catch the accent so fast? I've always thought that there are some people who are better in something than others so guess that girl was good at languages.

She said she's started to learn English since she was six. Her dad is a professor in some Beijing university. She told me his goal is to see her to get an American degree. Quite strange, huh, why American's? That's why she said she was trained hard to study English. But I didn't think her accent could turn out that well even she had studied for years in China. (No offense to Chinese people. My view of this was limited) Therefore, if you trained hard enough, you might get your accent lighter. I don't think you can sound exactly like the natives. If you sound about 80% like them, then it is already good enough, I believe.

Having an accent is totally normal since English is not our native language. However, it bothers me a lot, I wish I spoke better English. But that's not possible unless we move to an English-speaking country (although after reading Shazzam's post now I'm starting to have doubts :D).

I was obsessed with the accent.Now, i just aim to be understood by other people. I mostly speak in the way Americans do. But sometimes i pronounce the words like a British speaker.But the goal is to be understood..i don't care the rest

I'm a native English speaker - from England - and I really, really love people who speak English with an accent.

It's so cute!

Girls with a French accent are just irresistable! Spanish, too and Japanese ... oh, I'm getting carried away again!!!

Seriously, an accent is just great. Of course, the accent must not get in the way of communication. We have to be able to understand you, but beyond that, the English love accents. All the English I've met and talked to about it think this.

I speak Portuguese with what must be the worst possible accent. I try to reduce it to help communication with some words and sounds, but beyond that, I don't mind that I speak with an accent.

Dixie wrote:Having an accent is totally normal since English is not our native language. However, it bothers me a lot, I wish I spoke better English. But that's not possible unless we move to an English-speaking country (although after reading Shazzam's post now I'm starting to have doubts :D).

What are you chirping about? Your accent is cute, understandable and light. There's no need for you to change it.

sometimes when i speak in English, my accent is that of my native language.. still understandable though..

i have this classmate, she comes from a barrio and she often interchanges the p/f (as in fig-pig,fan-pan) sound and so many other sounds.. her enunciation and pronunciation are very poor..i feel bad for her as some of my classmates would laugh at her whenever she recites :( .. she said she's taking back subjects because of this..have you ever encountered such person?

When I was little, there was a new kid came from the North in my class. Whenever he read the lesson out loud, he would mispronounce the L's and N's. We always giggled when he said those words wrong. My teacher told us not to because it was cruel to make fun of him like that. It would hurt his self-esteem. And he would think his problem couldn't be fixed.

I think your classmates should no make fun of her. Instead, you all should help her out. Speech therapy should help her also.

When I was a little sweet girl (ha ha ha) I would watch everything that was on BBC or SkyNews even though I didn't understand much of it but later on I noticed that I spoke with a British accent and now a lot of people asks me how do I speak like that and I guess I must've learned it unconsciously watching everything in British tv channels.

illusion wrote:When I was a little sweet girl (ha ha ha) I would watch everything that was on BBC or SkyNews even though I didn't understand much of it but later on I noticed that I spoke with a British accent and now a lot of people asks me how do I speak like that and I guess I must've learned it unconsciously watching everything in British tv channels.

illusion wrote:When I was a little sweet girl (ha ha ha) I would watch everything that was on BBC or SkyNews even though I didn't understand much of it but later on I noticed that I spoke with a British accent and now a lot of people asks me how do I speak like that and I guess I must've learned it unconsciously watching everything in British tv channels.

illusion wrote: I'm not sure because soon I will be moving to my dorm and I won't have my computer there so unfortunately I won't even be able to visit the forum :(

You know what, I can't believe how fast things develop. When I was in college, if you needed a computer you had to go to the university and use the computers' room. Now, I see that all students have a laptop and have internet access in their dorms or apartments. I wish I had that, too.

illusion wrote: I'm not sure because soon I will be moving to my dorm and I won't have my computer there so unfortunately I won't even be able to visit the forum :(

You know what, I can't believe how fast things develop. When I was in college, if you needed a computer you had to go to the university and use the computers' room. Now, I see that all students have a laptop and have internet access in their dorms or apartments. I wish I had that, too.

I have a laptop too and there is a Net connection in dorms but I won't be taking it with myself in the beginning. I will try to post in here during the weekends at first and later on we shall see ;pp

I don't have any problems with my English accent 'casue I'm used to speak English since I was a child.
The problem now is my Arabic accent, I used to have friends from Lebenon, Egypt, The Gulf and Palistane. My Arabic now is so mixed that people don't now exactly where I am from .

LennyeTran wrote:I believe most of us here speak English with an accent. Well, how bad do you want to get rid of your accent, so you would sound like a native English speaker?

So far I'm quite OK with my accent. Although my English is not very good, I can pronounce and copy the accent of the native speaker. I prefer American accent to British accent. I even try to read out loud to improve my reading skill and pronouncing skill. I think it helps.

sweets wrote:I really wish to have good accent but i do not know how may accent now is not accent at all it is a mixture of American and Britsh one :| and i have not any good source to have good acceent